BOSTON – Attorney Gregg Pasquale – Gov. Deval Patrick’s pick for a seat on the Superior Court – sums up his judicial philosophy by saying even though the court has many cases, the case before a judge is the only one that matters to the litigants.

“They must come away from the process knowing that their positions were respected, fully aired and heard,” Pasquale told members of the Governor’s Council Wednesday during his confirmation hearing.

Patrick nominated Pasquale last month to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Judge Joseph Walker.

Pasquale, a Rockland resident, is currently a partner at Pasquale & White, where he practices medical malpractice litigation representing patients and their families. From 1999 to 2011, Pasquale worked at Keches Law Group, where he also focused on medical malpractice cases in Superior and federal court. He has prosecuted medical malpractice cases in Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

He has also represented the Commonwealth in first degree murder cases as an assistant district attorney and as a private attorney defended insurance companies, as well as represented those involved in personal injury cases.

“I believe that broad experience gives me qualifications to sit on the bench,” he said.

Pasquale was an assistant district attorney in Middlesex County from 1985 to 1991. He graduated from Boston College and received his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Pasquale attributes his Jesuit education at Boston College High School with driving his desire to work in public service. At school, he said, he learned it was important “to be a man or woman for others.”

“It is that commitment to public service that continues to drive me. It continues to drive me to go to public service for the next 14 years of my life,” Pasquale said.

Pasquale told the council he has tried approximately 15 criminal trials and more than 60 civil trials in Superior Court.

He told the council he is not a fan of mandatory sentencing, and believes a judge should be able to use their discretion. “I am not a huge fan of limiting that by invoking a mandatory minimum,” he said.

The primary goal of sentencing should be public safety and getting dangerous people off the street, Pasquale said.

Councilor Michael Albano asked him to elaborate on his judicial philosophy.

“We all know some judges lean to the left, and some lean to the right. I would like to know which side you lean to,” Albano said.

Pasquale said he did not think it was appropriate for him to say which way he leans. If a defendant comes before him, it has nothing to do with whether he is a Democrat or Republican, he said. If a defendant receives a sentence that some might think is light, and people know he is a Democrat, they are immediately going to jump to the conclusion that he is a lenient judge because he is a Democrat, Pasquale said. He said he said he thinks politics should be divorced from the bench.

Page 2 of 2 - If someone committed a violent crime, that person is going away for a long time, Pasquale said. If someone has a minor charge, but has defaulted three times, he is going to have bail “set pretty hard,” he said. If drugs are involved, the addiction problem has to be addressed.

“We have to keep on trying to educate that person, and understand his actions may very well have been beyond his control,” Pasquale said.

He added that he was not known as either a “hanging” or a lenient district attorney.

Councilor Jennie Caissie asked him if he would be able to put aside his experience as an attorney for litigants in medical malpractice suits if presiding over a case on that topic. In his practice, Pasquale said he has turned down a large percentage of the people who have called him because after listening to their story “I knew what they were describing wasn’t medical malpractice.”

Pasquale said he is very conscious of how difficult it is for a doctor to be accused of wrongdoing they did not commit, and he believes he will be impartial.

On guns and the Second Amendment, Pasquale said people have the right to bear arms and protect themselves. “I want to make sure they are properly trained; they are properly vetted, and the guns are stored safely,” he said.

Pasquale said he thought about becoming a judge for a decade before applying. Now, at 56, he thinks it is the right time. He applied for the Superior Court in October 2013.

“I don’t think I would have been as effective 10 years ago as I would now,” he said.

Toward the end of the hearing, Albano said he looked forward to voting for Pasquale, and Councilor Oliver Cipollini said Pasquale’s answers were exactly what he wanted to hear. Councilor Terrence Kennedy also said he was going to vote in Pasquale’s favor. Councilor Christopher Iannella, who presided over the hearing, said he rarely meets with nominees, but had the chance to meet Pasquale. He described it as a pleasure, and said he would be “proud and honored to put your name before the council.”